Shoulder pad



April 21, 1953 N. SILVESTRI 2,635,251

SHOULDER PAD Filed oct. 7, 194e vvvvvvvvvvvv INVENTOR. NlcHOLAs SILVESTR| BY Z v.

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 21, 1953 `SHOULDERl PAD Nicholas Silvestri, New York, N. Y., assignor, by

direct and mesne assignments, to Shape-WellY Shoulder Pad Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New ,York

Application October 7, 194,8, Serial No.- `53,290

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoulder pads and the like.

'c .An object of the invention is to provide an improved process for the manufacture of shoulder-'pads including the formation of an outer cover layer to overlie an inner base layer, the outer layer being secured to the inner layer in such manner that a minimum of stitching appears on the upper surface of the outer cover layer.

4Another object of the invention is to provide anfimproved process for the manufacture of shoulder pads, the thicker edge of which is curved sofas to provide 'an improved degree of t upon insertion in a garment."

Aljfurther object of the invention is to provide animproved process for the manufacture of a shoulder pad, the thicker edge of which has applied `thereto a relatively soft and yielding edging materialto avoid existence of `any sharp declivity which would otherwise be visible in the wearing of the garment.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved shoulder pad embodying a preformed curved thicker edge which is faced with yielding soft material, and including an absence of visible quilting stitching upon the upper surface of the shoulder pad.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved shoulder pad of the type described, which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, and which has the improved characteristics described herein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved shoulder pad,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the shoulder pad shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is :a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

In the manufacture of shoulder pads for insertion in garments, as heretofore practiced, there are a number of disadvantages. Thus, for example, the thick quilting stitching of the top layer to the rest of the pad brings the quilting stitches to rthe top of the pad, and makes them liable to become visible through the quite thin material worn in dresses. In addition, the prior art pads have had their thicker edges left unnished, so that the abrupt declivity is quite marked when inserted into a garment. Further. the

1 claim. (o1. 2-268) older pads have had their thicker edge cut straight across, and this has resulted in diiculty.

of fitting it properly to the garment and the bodt7 of the wearer; My invention discloses means for eliminating thesedifculties, and resultsin an improved shoulder pad which `makes the garment with which it is worn much more attractive than with prior art pads. In order to `understand clearly the natureof the invention, and the best means for carrying it out, reference may now be had to the drawings, in which like numerals denote similar parts throughout the several Views.

As shown, my improved pad includes a base member generally indicated at I0, which is roughly triangular in shape as seen best in Figure 2, with slightly curved side edges I2 andi I4 which intersect at I6. The other edge of `this curved triangular inner or bottom layer 20, Which thus forms the bottom face of the base member l0, is shown at I8. The bottom face 2U may be made of any suitable material well known in the art, one such material being soft felt, with a soft inner portion or sub-layer 22 forming part thereof.

Against the inner surface of the sub-layer 22 I place va stiffening layer 24 of any suitable material well known in the art, such as .buckram or the like, and against the right hand surface of the stiifening layer 24 as seen in Figure 3, I place the soft cottony inner surface layer 2B of the base backing layer 28, which may be formed of soft cotton '26 aixed to gauze fabric 28.

This entire assembly forming the base member I0 and lying wholly within the edge lines I2, I4 and I8 of Figure 2, is secured together as a base member unit by means of felting zig-zag stitching 30, shown best in Figures 2 and 3. I then provide an overlying layer member 32 of suitable soft material such as felt or the like, which is also roughly triangular with rounded edges 34 and 3E intersecting at 38. The layer member 32 may be formed of two halves 40 :and 42 which intersect along the center line 44 and are stitched together by the stitching 46.

The other edge 48 of the outer layer member 32 is curved as shown in Figures 1 and 2, instead of being a straight line as in prior art pads, and is faced with a soft padding such as a quantity of soft cotton stuffing 48 encased in between the walls 50 and 52 of gauze-like fabric which are :brought together as at 54 and stitched together and to the undersurface of the overlying cover member 32. The softer shoulder thus facing the curved edge 48 of the cover member layer, ex.

of the wearer, of Athe overlying garment which 5 is supported by the shoulder pad.

It will be observed that the base member assembly is` placed against the inner surface 56 of the outer cover member 32, and is stitched lthereto by means of two lines of substantially curved stitching 58 and 60, which intersect at 62. At their upper ends, as seen best in Figure 2, the lines of stitching extend inwards respectively a relatively short distance, as shown at 64 and 66 respectively. Since these stitchingextensions 64 and 66 do not extend all the way across to meet each other, it is apparent that there is some open space 68 therebetween, that is, the cover layer 32 is not secured to the base member at the intervening area.

This method construction, in which the zigzag` quilting stitching at 30 only extends through the base member l0, and not to the upper surface of the overlying cover layer 32, being entirely invisible as seen from above as in Figure 1, presents ther quilting stitching from being visible from above through sheer garments, or from marring the smooth outer appearance of the garment in the area of the shoulders.

In addition, the curvature of the thicker edge 48 of the overlying cover layer and its lsoft facing edge as at 48, 50 and 52, makes for better and more conforming t of the shoulder pad, the soft facing of this edge, avoiding any sharp line of demarcation thereat.

.Although I have described my invention in specic terms, it will be understod that variationsmay be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas claimed'.

I claim:

A shoulder pad comprising a base layer assembly adapted to lie upon the shoulder of the wearer and incorporating padding material adapted to provide greater pad thickness as the distance from the neck of the wearer increases. the thickest edge of said base layer assembly being inwardly curved, and an overlying outer layer adapted to be disposed in overlying relationship to said base layer assembly, and having its corresponding outer edge nearest said thickest edge of the base layer assembly similarly curved, said base layer assembly comprising a rst layer of soft felt, an intermediate layer of stiffening material, a soft cotton third layer backed With gauze, all said layers being secured together by means of quilting stitching extending therethrough, and in which said quilted base assembly member is secured to said overlying cover layer by means of stitching through at least two of the edges of said base layer opposite their said curved thicker edge, said curved thicker edge being only thus partly stitched to said overlying cover layer.

NICHOLAS srnvirsrrtr.`

References cited in the sie of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 810,333 Grean Jan.,16,f.19`0`6 2,195,806 Barbieri' Ap. 2,` 1940 2,274,261 Vogel V.. Felt.` 24', 1942 2,399,731 Glln'lal'l May 7, 1,946^ 2,438,930 Lenske Apr. v6, 1948 2,458,646 Root .L. .Q Jan. 11, 1949 2,483,809 Clarke` el', al. O61?. 4,1949

FOREIGN PATENTS Y Number Country Datev 6903949 Germany' Apr'. 18, 1949' 

